Venusian Spy
by Venus Smurf
Summary: Will Venus' capture expose a secret that might destroy the universe? Crappy early story. Don't read it.
1. The first meeting

"Venus Spy"  
  


CHAPTER ONE: The First Meeting  
  
Lord Malachite rubbed his temple with one finger. He could feel a nasty headache starting behind his eyes. The investigation quite simply was not going well at all.  
  
The problems had begun several weeks ago. They started with a few petty thefts of common, worthless objects. Then, about half of the castle staff had become sick. The symptoms weren't serious, just a baffling lack of energy and motivation. The sick people quickly recovered, but so many people were afflicted that nothing around the castle was being accomplished. Everything was in chaos, and things only got worse. About three weeks ago, people started disappearing on top of everything else. They vanished almost without a trace, leaving only piles of ash in their living quarters. So far, Malachite didn't have any idea where the ash was coming from, but he had to assume that it was the remains of the missing people. Then again, what could destroy a person so completely but not leave any other traces of a fight?  The king and queen assigned the investigation to their top general, Lord Malachite. He did not appreciate that at all, especially since he had nothing to report. He felt like he was failing his monarch, a feeling that he did not know how to handle.  
  
A knock sounded at the door. "Come," he called. The door opened and a servant entered with a tray of food. Without speaking, the servant set the tray on his desk. Malachite finally looked up when she didn't immediately leave. "Yes?" he asked impatiently of the pale young woman in front of him. He noticed that she had huge eyes and short black hair and was rather pretty for a servant. 

Her hand went to her hip as he watched her, and she looked incredibly annoyed.  "Aren't you even going to thank me or at least acknowledge my presence? You're extremely rude."  
  
Malachite gawked at her. For the first time in many years, he was absolutely speechless by someone else's audacity.  Didn't this woman realize who she was talking to?  
  
Her expression of annoyance deepened. "You know," she muttered, "you're supposed to be some sort of gentleman. I hate to tell you this, pal, but I've seen better manners on gutter sweepers. Real gentlemen do not treat their servants this poorly."  
  
Malachite closed his mouth and schooled his expression back into its normal remote mask. He was a lord, after all, and knew better than to gawk at some dirty servant girl. "And how exactly do gentlemen treat their servants?"  
  
"You ought to treat everyone like they're your peers. You shouldn't let your preoccupation with whatever you're doing affect your manners. One would think you'd been raised to know better."  
  
In spite of his anger with her, he knew that she had a point. "You're quite right. I humbly apologize." He indicated the chair in front of his desk. "Why don't you join me?" he asked coldly, hoping she would get the hint and leave. "There's enough food here for three people. Unless, of course, you have other, more pressing, duties?" Please let her take the hint, he silently begged the universe.  I'm not in the mood for this!  
  
The girl ignored his sarcastic tone and sat.  He found himself deciding that she was perfectly aware of the dismissal in his voice but had just chosen to ignore it.  "I would be delighted," she said sincerely. She startled Malachite when she began to serve him with the same gracious manner that a true lady possessed. She must have spent some time serving a noblewoman, he mused. She handed him a plate laden with food, and then prepared a smaller one for herself. Sighing, realizing she wasn't going to let him get rid of her, he began to eat.  
  
Malachite watched the girl as she ate.  She was a puzzle, he mused suddely. She ate and carried herself like a lady but was extremely dirty. She was so filthy that he actually feared for the upholstery on her chair. How in the world was she allowed to handle my food? he wondered.  She's not exactly sanitary. Someone in the kitchen obviously doesn't like me. 

This wasn't news to him. A _lot_ of people didn't like him, and it was becoming increasingly apparent the more information he tried to get out of his fellow human beings. They seemed to go out of their way to keep him from learning anything at all, no matter how silly or useless the information might be.  Most were afraid of him, too, but from the way this girl had yelled at him, she apparently wasn't one of them. Still, he hadn't the faintest idea of what to say to her. The silence stretched out uncomfortably. She must have sensed his mood, because she quickly stood. "I really should go now. Thank you for the meal and good luck with your investigation." 

She turned to go, but his hand shot out like lightening and latched onto her wrist. "How do you know about the case? I've told no one," he barked through clenched teeth. 

Her eyes widened, but she still didn't show any fear of him. "I just heard some gossip around the castle. The servants have been complaining of thieves and a lot of people are sick. I even heard that some of the higher administrators and minor nobles are missing. I just put two and two together and came up with five. I figured you'd be in charge of the case because you're the king's most trusted general. Everyone knows that."  
  
His eyes narrowed and his grip tightened so much that even the other generals would have at least winced. Her expression didn't change at all, and she didn't even react. Finally he released her arm. She pulled away and quickly slipped out the door like a wraith.  
  
He knew she was lying, and he knew beyond a doubt that she knew something that she wasn't telling him. Still, he didn't have any proof. All he could do was watch her for now. Just watch.  
  
**************************************************************************************************************************************

Had Malachite been able to see her that night as she snuck into the depths of the dark library, he would have arrested her then and there. She slipped around to a secluded area in the back of the library, silently waving a greeting to the young blond man waiting for her. She came as close to him as she could, then said in a low voice, "I think Malachite is onto me. I slipped up in his office today and wished him luck on his case."  
  
The young man looked surprised. "That's really odd. You haven't 'slipped up' in all the time that I've known you. What happened?"  
  
The girl shook her head. "I don't know. I was trying to see the papers on his desk without being obvious, when I suddenly lost my temper. I was perfectly calm when I went to give him his lunch, but as soon as I entered the room I got…angry. I can only guess that the man's a low-level telepath. He was probably just projecting his anger over the case without realizing it, and I picked up and reacted to it."  She sighed.  "Raye would understand it better. The point is that he's getting suspicious. We should avoid him as much as we can for a while."  
  
They suddenly heard footsteps out in the hallway. "Go on, get out of here," the girl whispered fiercely.  "We can't be seen together yet." 

The man disappeared around the corner and left through the back entrance to the library. The girl was about to follow him, but a voice called out, "Who's there? I know I heard something." 

She immediately recognized Lord Malachite's voice and knew that he would not leave until she made herself known.  She stepped out into the aisle between the bookshelves and tried her best to look sheepish. "It's just me, my lord. I couldn't sleep, so I came to get a book to tire me out."  
  
Malachite glared at her for a moment, but only said, "You do know that this library is off limits to servants."  It was more a statement than a question.  
  
"Yes, of course, my lord. But the servants don't really have a library, and I couldn't think of any other activity that would put me to sleep quickly enough." 

Malachite nearly laughed. "I wasn't aware that reading was so boring. I rather like it, myself." The girl smiled slightly but didn't comment. Malachite sighed, aware that he would not get any more information out of her tonight. "I'd like to chat more, but I am somewhat tired myself. Why don't you join me for lunch again tomorrow? I'd like to hear some more of what the servants are saying about the disappearances. For some reason they won't talk to me."  
  
The girl smiled again. "That's because they're all scared of you." 

Malachite took a step closer to her. "And you aren't?" 

"No, my lord. I've faced much worse than you." 

Malachite realized that he'd taken another step forward. He hastily stepped back, and the mask slipped back into place. "I'm sure I've kept you long enough. Good night," he said as coolly as he could. The girl seemed slightly taken aback, but she quickly left anyway. Malachite was almost sorry. I could almost find myself liking her, he thought to himself.  
  


**************************************************************************************************************************************

  
For the next several days, the girl shared Malachite's lunch with him. He told himself that he only wanted to question her, but he found himself rapidly coming up with excuses to call her into his office. Truth be told, he liked having someone around that he could talk to without being ridiculed for his ideas. He found her to be extremely intelligent, quick witted, and eloquent as a speaker. She never teased him for his ideas like the other generals and even the prince would have. Instead, she either agreed or disagreed with him, and a discussion would result. Their debates made his days seem a lot shorter, and he couldn't wait to see what each day's conversation would be about.  
  
He still followed her around from time to time, but he often felt that he'd been mistaken about the expression in her eyes when he'd first cornered her. He still didn't quite trust her, but then he didn't really trust anyone. Often he followed her into the library at night, where he would watch her avidly reading whatever she could get her hands on. In spite of her interest in the books, though, she often fell asleep in one of the library chairs. He knew she'd get caught reading by the nobles at some point, and to prevent her from being punished he would take a stack of books that he thought she'd like straight to her rooms. She always thanked him politely but would never let him into her room. After a few days, she came to him in his office and told him that she was afraid the other servants would find the books. From that point on, he kept the books in his own office. She would come in at all hours to read. He even found her there a few times in the middle of the night, asleep in his chair.  She still wouldn't give him her name, and he never tried to get it from the other servants. She thought of his questions as a game, and he didn't have the heart to tell her that he was very, very serious.  
  
One day, though, something happened that threatened their blossoming friendship. He was sitting in his office, reviewing military reports, when a servant boy rushed in. The boy was nearly incoherent in his hysterics, but Malachite was able to glean enough information to send him running. When he arrived at the administrator's wing, he found a sight that made his blood run cold. The door to the chief clerk's room was completely torn from its hinges, and scraps of his furniture littered the hallway. The chief clerk was nowhere to be seen, but Malachite's dark-haired little friend was seated on the bed with her hands tied behind her back. Two huge guards stood on either side of her with their weapons aimed at her heart. "What happened here?" he demanded.  
  
The chief disciplinary officer, a nervous little man with sparse, greasy white hair, appeared in the doorway. "One of the officers heard screaming in this room. When he arrived, he found this girl poised over the chief clerk with a knife at his throat. I'm afraid she killed him before she could be stopped. Now, if you'll excuse me, general, I have an investigation to conduct." 

The oily little man walked over to the bed. He stretched out a corpse-pale hand and grabbed her hair. Malachite felt like someone had kicked him in the chest when her dark hair pulled free from her head. A sea of silky, golden hair cascaded down her back in its place. The little man gave her a malicious grin. "I'd bet that's not even your real eye color, is it, wench?" He clipped her viciously on the side of her head with his fist, and when she blinked Malachite could see the tiny green lenses that fell into her lap. Her eyes were now a brilliant blue, and they glittered like large jewels in her pale face. "Hah! I've caught you now, spy!"  
  
Malachite looked at his little friend once more before abruptly fleeing the room. The look of guilt and regret on her face told him everything he needed to know. She'd betrayed him. Little incidences that he'd dismissed long ago came to his mind. He couldn't help remembering all the times he'd found her in his office, seemingly rummaging through his desk. She'd always had some logical excuse for her behavior, telling him that she was merely looking for a place marker for her book or a pen and paper to write him a note.  
  
The little corner of his heart that she'd opened slammed shut again. She'd once told him that the servants called him the 'Ice Man'. He'd show them just how icy he could become.

**************************************************************************************************************************************  
  
True to his word, Malachite became colder than ever. Even the generals, who were like brothers to him, wouldn't come near him. They questioned him at first about the girl but quickly learned to avoid that topic at all costs. All they knew was that the girl was the source of the problems around the castle, and that she had been taken away for questioning. They all knew that what that questioning was likely to consist of, but they didn't dare bring it up. If she'd done something so awful that Malachite would withdraw from them like this, then she probably deserved the torture she was sure to get.  
  
Malachite himself kept pushing the thought of her 'punishment' to the back of his mind. He didn't want to think about her at all. He even avoided his office like the plague. Every time he went there, he would find one of the books that she'd been reading or a note that she'd left him some random night. Every chair plagued him with memories of times that she'd sat there for their debates or the times he'd found her asleep in each of them.  
  
He refused to acknowledge that he'd cared about her, or that he missed her sunny presence in his life. He missed their conversations. He missed the way she'd always understood him, even on days when he was frustrated and lashed out at her without reason. She'd never blamed him; she'd just let his spiteful comments wash over her like a wave on the sand.  
  
He wouldn't let her get to him. She'd betrayed him, and he should rightfully forget that he'd ever even met her. That is, if forgetting someone like her is even possible, he mused more than once.

**************************************************************************************************************************************  
  
Malachite stewed for hours, then decided that the best and only way to forget her was to confront her. He immediately went to the area where she was being held until the king himself could question her.  As he approached the holding cell, he noticed an alarming lack of guards. That's odd, he thought. Even when there aren't any prisoners here there are still guards around. Something's not right. He inched his way towards the door, hoping to catch a glimpse of whoever or whatever had attacked the guards. He peered into the half open door of the holding cell and was not really surprised at what he saw.  
  
The guards were lying unconscious on the floor with their hands and feet bound. Malachite was relieved to see that they were all breathing. He glanced around for their attacker and saw a young man in a guard's uniform hastily untying the ropes around the girl's arms. "However did you get caught?" the man asked as the ropes slipped free from her ankles. 

"Believe me, I was as surprised as you were. I tracked one of the nastier youma to the chief clerk's rooms. I thought that the chief clerk himself was the youma, at least until that oily little guy attacked me instead. As it turned out, the clerk was innocent, but he was being used as bait. When the youma attacked, I tried to save him, but he was too stupid to do as I said. He fainted when the youma revealed his true form and got caught by a ball of negative energy. I'm afraid the youma slit his throat with a claw before I could get there. Just as I was ready to transform myself, some little servant boy came in and started screaming. I got knocked out while I was trying to save the boy. When I came to, I was hogtied. That's about it."  
  
The soldier finished untying her wrists. "We'd better get out of here. I notified Lord Artemis, and he's waiting with the teleport aligner. We're supposed to meet him in the courtyard." 

The girl stood and stretched out her legs. "Let's do it. I've spent enough time here already. Artemis can send someone else next time. I quit."  
  
Malachite quickly hid behind a statue. He couldn't just let her leave, could he? She was a spy, after all. Still, he gathered from their conversation that she hadn't been the one doing the killing.  
  
His dilemma was solved for him when another guard patrolling down the corridor noticed the lack of other people outside the holding cell. He immediately called for another guard patrolling nearby. Klaxons rang throughout the building, and Malachite realized that neither the girl nor her companion had a chance of escaping.  Making up his mind, he ran into the room just as the duo noticed the alarms. The girl gaped at him as he entered, but he ignored the question in her eyes, saying only, "The guards realized that you've escaped. The only way you'll ever get to the courtyard is through this corridor. I'm going to help you because you were my friend, but the next time that you come here I'll have to arrest you myself, understood?" The girl nodded quickly. "Then we go this way," said Malachite, gesturing in the appropriate direction.  
  
The young man in the soldier's uniform glared at the girl as they exited. "I thought you said you were going to avoid him." She shrugged, not meeting Malachite's eyes. It's just as well, he thought. I won't ever be able to see her again.  
  
They ran swiftly down the hallway, but they weren't quick enough to avoid the armed guards waiting for them at the end of the hallway. As soon as she noticed all of the guards, who were waiting for them alongside the little white haired man, she grabbed Malachite's dagger from his belt and held it to his throat. "If you come any closer, I'll kill him." Malachite knew she was bluffing. The knife wasn't anywhere close to his jugular. "Go find Artemis," she whispered to the soldier. "If I'm not there in the next two minutes, leave without me. Go on!" she insisted as the soldier hesitated. "Whatever you do, do not let anyone come back for me. If I'm captured, I'll be dead before they can rescue me. That includes the other senshi, got it?" The soldier nodded, then took off running back in the direction from which they'd come. "I hope he makes it," he heard her whisper to herself.  
  
The little man apparently saw her body tense for flight, because he said, "I wouldn't think of running if I were you. If you do, I'll kill the boy." He reached behind his back and pulled out the cowering servant boy who'd first reported that his friend had been caught.  
  
He felt her sag, and she released him. "The same goes for you, Lord Malachite. Don't interfere. You'll only suffer if you do," she said as she surrendered her weapon. The guards swarmed around her, burying her in a pile of striking fists and bruising kicks. Shockingly, she shook her attackers off. She ran, dodging guards as she went. Malachite thought that she would surely escape, until the little man revealed a two-pronged weapon that he'd hidden behind his back. Black lightening flickered between the prongs. The man pointed the weapon at the girl as she ran past, and the lightening leaped out at her like it had a life of its own. The lightening hit the girl's back, then lashed out across her entire body. She dropped, screaming in silent agony, with the lightening still covering her body.  
  
As Malachite ran to help her, the guards attacked him as well. Malachite didn't get the chance to look closely at any of them, but he instinctively knew that they were not part of the official guard. They struck at him, landing blow after blow to his body. One particularly strong punch caught him in the back of the head, and he buckled to his knees. The same guard punched him again, and he finally gave into the encroaching darkness.

**************************************************************************************************************************************  
  
He woke, several hours later, in his own bed. Pinned to the pillow under his head was a note, written in scrawled black letters, telling him not to say anything or he'd be as good as dead. As soon as he finished reading the note, the letters on it wavered and disappeared as if they'd never been there at all.

**************************************************************************************************************************************  
  
When she finally came to, she found herself chained to a wall in some sort of tiny dungeon room. The door of her cell was actually made up of iron bars and a rusty old padlock. How primitive…  
  
Her entire body ached from the backlash of the negative energy that had brought her down. At least one of her ribs was cracked, if not broken, and she was covered in ugly purple and black bruises. Obviously, someone tried to kick me while I was down, she thought. Still, she'd been trained to resist pain, and resist it she did.  
  
She didn't have to endure her pain alone for very long, though. Within moments, the greasy little man entered with another guard. "I'm so glad to see that you're finally awake, my dear," he said with a leer. "I've been waiting for so long to meet you. Shall we get started?" She didn't say anything, knowing perfectly well what was going to happen. "Let's begin with your name and rank, my dear. I know you're not human. You couldn't be and still be alive. That energy should have killed you immediately. Who are you?"  
  
She still didn't answer. She'd also been trained to resist torture, and she would not give in to this disgusting little man. He seemed to realize this, as well, because an ugly scowl marred his features even further. "Start the torture," he told the guard next to him. The guard stepped forward eagerly. She ignored the fear that nestled in her belly, and waited for the pain to start. At least they got away…


	2. Tortured

CHAPTER TWO: Tortured  
  
Malachite entered the dark tavern with a feeling akin to depression. He'd tried everything that he could think of to find the girl, but he hadn't had any luck. He was deeply worried for her, knowing that she was probably seriously hurt wherever she was.  He took a seat in the back of the room where he'd have a good view of the door without exposing his back. He ordered a drink from the barmaid, then sat nursing it as he pondered the girl's fate. He glanced up at the door as two people entered. One was a young woman who would have been quite pretty if she hadn't had so much hatred on her face. The other was the oily little man who'd taken the girl.  
  


They glanced around fugitively, then sat at a table within earshot of his own. He kept his face pressed into his glass so they wouldn't notice him eavesdropping. He was extremely relieved when they sat facing the opposite direction. He listened closely to their conversation, hoping to learn something about where they'd taken the girl.  
  
"So she shows no sign of breaking," the woman was saying coldly. "Surprising. Have you tried torture?" she asked as casually as if she were suggesting he have some tea.  
  
"Yes, my queen. We've done everything we could think of. She's had three straight days of the most intense torture that we could devise, and she's not even close to breaking. It's puzzling. She should have died when that ball of negative energy hit her. Anyone else would have, but she was barely affected. If I didn't know better, I'd almost have to say that she's acting like a Sailor Guard." 

The woman glared at him. "Explain," she hissed.  
  
The man gulped nervously. "Well, first there's the fact that she found all of the infected, energy-stealing objects that we left around the castle. Second, she managed to destroy not only the objects, but she also killed most of our agents. That's not easy. Then, there's the fact that the negative energy didn't kill her. The only people ever to survive that sort of blast are the soldiers of the Silver Alliance. She has to be a Guard, and a strong one at that. She might even be a Scout. I mean, we know that she's not human. We've cut her in many places, and her blood runs gold."  
  
The woman gave a satisfied smile. "At least we know what she is. Only Venusians possess gold blood. Does she show any signs of power?"  
  
The breath escaped from the man's lips in a hiss. "Oh, yes. She has great power. I have rarely seen such power, even from Sailor Guards. In fact, I believe that she may even be shielding the other prisoners from the pain we've inflicted on them. We hurt them, but they don't react. I decapitated a man just to be sure, and almost immediately a welt formed across her throat in the exact same place as where I'd put the knife. It's amazing," he finished with awe.  
  
The woman slammed her drink down. "Kill her. Tonight. If she is truly an agent of the Silver Alliance, then Selenity will send someone to find her. Where there's one agent, another always follows, especially if she is as high in the Sailor hierarchy as you suspect."  
  
Malachite raced back to the castle. He knew where she was now. He'd recognized that woman the moment she entered. She was the daughter of a minor noble who'd caused immeasurable trouble in the past. Her father specialized in guerilla attacks and murders. They lived in a huge black castle located only a few miles north of here.  
  
He quickly gathered some supplies and weapons, then mounted the fastest horse he could find. He would reach the castle well before nightfall. He only hoped that he could find her in time.  
  
Malachite crept up to the castle, keeping out of sight of the castle's archers by hiding behind the large black boulders surrounding it. The castle itself was perched on a cliff above him. Rumor had it that the rock from which the castle was built came from the eruption of an ancient volcano. The rock itself was a glassy black, almost like obsidian. At the foot of the cliff was a large crated filled with polluted water. Not the best place to live, he decided.  
  
As Malachite came closer to the base of the castle, he noticed two young women darting, like him, from boulder to boulder. They were both wearing some strange outfit that almost looked like an odd version of a sailor's uniform. The outfits were basically the same, except that one was accented with red while the other was accented with blue. The girl in red had long black hair, but the other girl had short- blue??- hair. How can anyone have blue hair? he wondered. They were whispering fiercely to each other, and the blue-haired girl kept looking at a small blue device in her hand. "There's got to be a way in," whispered to the one in red. "Mina's hurt. I can feel it."  
  
The other girl started rapidly pushing the buttons on the device with one hand. "She's there alright, but I still don't have a way in. It's not like I can just hack into their computer systems and take the schematics. They don't even have computers yet."  
  
Malachite had heard enough. These girls were obviously friends of the first girl, and they could probably help each other. He approached them cautiously. He didn't know what they were capable of, after all. "Ladies, I believe that we can help each other." 

They whirled, taking fighting stances as they saw him. "Who are you?" demanded the girl in red. "How do you think you can help us?" The scorn in her voice was palpable.  
  
"My name is Malachite. I believe we have a mutual friend locked up in that castle. I happen to know a way in, and you can locate her with that little device of yours. It seems that we need each other."  
  
The girl in blue pointed her machine at him. "It's alright. He's clear, and he is who he says he is. We can trust him." She put the device away. "Well? Are you going to show us the way in or not?"  
  
He led the way to the break in the wall that he'd discovered a few years ago during a battle with the noble of this castle. He ran his hands along the wall until he found the crack. He tugged at it until it a portion of the wall gave way, revealing a dank corridor leading into the depths of the castle. Malachite had to practically bend in half to fit. "How exactly did you know who I was?" he asked. 

The girl in blue shrugged. "Mina sent us the dossiers from the royal staff. I simply scanned your image into the computer and waited until I found a match." 

She spoke as if the whole matter were routine, so Malachite chose to treat it as such. "I take it that Mina is also the girl that I am searching for," he said. 

The girl in red stiffened. "How are we supposed to trust you when you don't even know her name?" she asked acidly. 

It was his turn to shrug. "She wouldn't tell me. She thought it was some kind of game to keep me guessing. It certainly entertained her."  
  
"Yep. That's Mina, all right. Unless she's fighting, everything is a game to her. I'm Raye, by the way, and that's Amy. I guess if Mina was playing with you, then it's okay to trust you." She didn't look at if she did, though.  
  
"She certainly did 'play' with me." He couldn't suppress the note of bitterness that crept into his voice, but he didn't really want to. He was still angry with the girl for lying to him. Maybe it had been necessary, but that didn't make it any easier to forgive her. He would help to rescue her, but then he never wanted to see her again. 


	3. Rescue

CHAPTER THREE: Rescue  
  
They crept along at a snail's pace, not able to go any faster because of the way the tunnel was built. Jagged spikes dotted several patches in the pitch-black tunnel, making travel dangerous at best. They almost had to turn back several times, but each time Amy's computer helped them find a way around the spikes.  
  
They were mostly silent as they walked. The two girls didn't completely trust this silver-haired stranger, and Malachite himself refused to ask any questions. He figured that the less he knew of Mina, the better. He didn't want to know just how badly she'd lied to him.  
  
After a few hours, the tunnel forked. Raye stopped. "Which way?" she asked. 

Malachite pointed to the tunnel going left. "That'll lead to the dungeons. From what I know of this place, that's where Mina is being held. I have to warn you, though, she's probably being tortured as we speak."  
  
He was unprepared for Raye's attack. She struck him fiercely across the cheek. The force of her blow nearly snapped his neck, but he didn't so much as wince. "I fail to understand why you just did that. I led you where I said I would, didn't I?" His voice was as cold as ice. He might not have been able to see her face, but he could feel Raye's fury pouring off of her in waves.  
  
"I thought that you said that she was your friend. How can you be so casual about her being tortured? Some friend you are."  
  
He considered. "Yes, I believe that I did say she was my friend. Unfortunately, I was serious. She was my friend, at least until she betrayed me. I'm going to help free her for the sake of that friendship. After that, I don't care what happens to her. I never want to see her again."  
  
"Believe me, that can be arranged." Raye's voice was as cold as his own. "In fact, we don't need you anymore at all. You can go now," she said imperiously.  
  
He ignored her, entering the tunnel first. He would go, as soon as he knew that Mina was safe.  
  
They knew that they'd found the dungeon when they saw torchlight and heard crude jokes and laughter. They found two men seated at a low, flimsy table, playing cards. Every few moments, one of them would belch and lay a card down on the table. On the table in between them was a set of keys, which were most likely to the cell doors themselves. One of the men, wearing a long brown robe and cowl, threw down his cards and leapt to his feet. "I won! Give me the goods, pal!" 

The other, a fat men with a smell strong enough to kill a vulture, also jumped to his feet. With a cry of malevolent rage, he flung the table over. "Nobody beats me!" he roared. "I'll kill you!" He charged at the robed man, who dodged with surprising agility. 

"Not today, pal," laughed the slender man. He flipped his chair over and smashed it into the inebriated man's back. The fat man collapsed with a grunt, and the second man dropped his chair.  
  
Malachite waited until he was sure the fight was over, and then addressed the second man. "Nice job, Jed. Next time, try to make a little less noise, all right?" he asked sarcastically.  
  
The second man scooped up the fallen keys, then pulled his cowl back to reveal a handsome younger man with thick blond hair and blue eyes. "How'd you know it was me? I thought I could fool my own mother with this disguise." He tossed the keys to his friend, who caught them easily. "I have a better question. Why are you even here, and how did you get here before us?"  
  
Jedeite laughed again. "Simple. I heard you were taking a little trip and got Nephlite to tell me where you were going. He just said that you were going to rescue your true love from the maws of death." He held up his hands in a defensive posture. "Hey, they're his words, not mine. I just tagged along to help. Besides," he said in a mock whisper, "I heard that you were looking for a beautiful girl. I figured that where there's one beautiful girl, there's got to be another, right? I'm so glad that I was correct," he said, looking at Raye.  
  
Malachite rolled his eyes. "If I were you, Jed, I'd ignore that one. She's got quite the temper. She'll burn you alive." 

Raye, too, was glaring at Jedeite. "You have no idea just how accurate that statement is," she seethed. She pushed past him into the dungeon. "Come on, Amy. We still need to find Mina."  
  
Malachite couldn't help himself. "She could be dead, you know." 

Raye looked like she wanted to kill him. "She's not dead. We'd know," she murmured sadly. "Would you get out of my face already?" she yelled at Jed before taking off into the dungeons. Jedeite followed the raven-haired girl, a predatory smile plastered on his face.  
  
****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Malachite was becoming increasingly frustrated. Where had they put that dratted girl? The sooner he found the little liar, the sooner he could get on with his life. He'd tried to help her the first time because he didn't like the look of that oily little man. She hadn't escaped, so now he had to help her again. His only fear was that she was already dead or that she'd been taken somewhere else, making his entire time with Raye an unnecessary punishment. Too bad Jed doesn't see it that way, he thought, watching Jedeite's attempts at conversing with the fiery girl. Raye, too, was annoyed with Jedeite. "Have you found her yet, Amy?" she asked impatiently for the tenth time. 

"Not ye-wait! There she is! She's just a few yards from here!" She led the way through the dungeons, which had been empty so far.  
  
They rounded a corner, and there she was. She was chained painfully to a wall, held by strips of metal across her neck, wrists, and ankles. Gold blood poured freely from a cut to her temple, and all exposed skin was covered in ugly bruises. Golden rivulets also streamed from cuts on her sides, stomach, and even feet. Her eyes were swollen shut under a mass of even more bruises. She looked dead.  
  
Raye rushed over to her. "Mina!" She examined the chains holding the beaten girl. "Give me the keys!" she yelled at Malachite. Malachite tossed her the keys, and she tried for several seconds to open the locks. "These aren't the right ones!" she hissed in frustration. "Fine. We'll do this the hard way, then." She stepped back a few paces, then pointed at the locks with one finger. 

"Careful, Raye. Don't accidentally set Mina on fire," Amy cautioned. 

Raye glared at her. "I haven't done that in ages! I'm certainly not going to do so now." She closed her eyes, focusing on the girl in front of her.  
  
Malachite jumped away. He could feel the heat pouring off this strange girl. She pointed her finger at the chains, crying, "Mars Fire Release!" Malachite's jaw dropped in shock as a tiny stream of fire squirted from the tip of her outstretched finger. The stream split in several places just before it touched Mina's prone body. The new, smaller rivulets each surrounded one of the locks holding Mina to the wall. The locks instantly melted into puddles of hot, liquid metal. Mina fell to the ground, narrowly missing the puddles.  
  
Raye and Amy ran forward and pulled her up. "Come on," shouted Amy. "Someone's coming!" 

Seeing that the two small girls would never lift her in time, Malachite ran forward and scooped Mina into his arms. In spite of his hatred for her, he was still worried about the lack of response they were getting from her.  
  
He started to run back toward the tunnel, but Jedeite pulled him in a different direction. "There's a quicker route this way!" Gritting his teeth, Malachite followed his friend and the two girls into a second tunnel. I hope he knows where he's going, he thought.  
  


****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

  
Jedeite's tunnel ended far from the castle, in a valley surrounded by rocks and caves. They could still hear their pursuers, so they ducked into the closest cave. Malachite laid Mina down on the cave floor, and Amy immediately started to scan her with the little blue computer. "She's bad, guys. She's got at least three cracked ribs, one broken arm, and she's bleeding internally. I think one of the ribs ruptured her lungs, and her insides are badly infected. She's got a bad concussion." She paled. "She might even have brain damage. I can't tell how bad without a medical scanner." She closed her eyes. "There's nothing I can do. Only Selenity could save her now."  
  
Malachite sighed in disgust. "Great. All that for nothing." 

Everyone stared at him in shock. Even Jedeite, who lived with the guy, was astounded by his heartlessness. Geez, this gal must have done a number on him, he thought.  
  
"That does it. Leave. Now," Raye hissed. "Regardless of what she's done to you, we love Mina. We're going to do everything that we can to save her, and you'd better not get in our way." She pulled a small device out of her belt, then flipped it open. "Mars calling Jupiter. Come in Jupiter." 

The device hissed and cackled for a moment, then a face appeared in the little screen in the center. "Jupiter here. How is she?" the brunette on the other end asked anxiously.  
  
"She's bad. Amy can't help her, and she says that the only one who can is Selenity herself. We're in a cave on the northern end of the planet, and Beryl's forces are surrounding us. We're also stuck with two numbskulls who don't know up from down, and I. Am. Getting. Very. Angry." 

The brunette looked at her in alarm, then nodded. "I'll send a task force immediately. Try to keep your temper, Mars. Jupiter out." Her face faded from the screen.  
  
Raye sat down to wait, still holding onto Mina's hand. Meanwhile, Malachite felt a tingling in the back of his skull. He glared sharply at Jedeite, noticing as he did so that Raye and Amy were looking at him, too, with the strangest expression on their faces. Malachite ignored them, choosing instead to glare at Jedeite. "I don't know what's going on with you, Mal, but I don't really want this girl to die. Yes, I contacted them. Yes, I went behind your back, but I only did it because I think that you care more for this girl than you're letting on. If we don't save her, you'll hate yourself for the rest of your life." He looked down at his feet uncomfortably. "Besides," he said more quietly, "they were already on their way. They'll be here any second."  
  
Raye stood haughtily. "We don't need your help. Our friends will be here soon, too. We can handle this on our own."  
  
Malachite glared at her. "Kind of like you handled the rescue on your own? I seem to recall that you couldn't even get in the castle."  
  
Before Raye could reply, they heard horses outside. "We know you're in there, Scouts! We'll let the others go if you surrender!" Malachite recognized the oily man's voice.  
  
Raye laughed scornfully. "What makes you think that we care about what happens to these losers? You're welcome to them!" Even as she said this, though, she moved in front of the generals. 

Amy stayed where she was, crouched by Mina. She pulled a small vial from her belt and dropped a little greenish liquid into the insensate girl's mouth. "That's all I can do until Selenity can use the crystal on her."  
  
Suddenly, Mina's eyes began to twitch. She slowly opened her eyes, but he could see that they were foggy from pain. "Amy?" she whispered weakly. 

Amy took Mina's hand. "We're here, Meens. Just hang on, all right? The others are coming soon."  
  
Mina's hand jerked convulsively. "No. I don't want them here. I won't let them get hurt. Please, don't let them…" Her voice trailed off frighteningly.  
  
Amy started scanning her again. "Don't let go, Mina. You're our leader. We need you."  
  
Mina licked her lips. "Lita…," she said. 

Amy shook her head. "We know that Lita's capable, but she's not you. We need you." Mina's eyes closed again. "Don't you dare leave us! You don't have the right! Think about what your death would do to the others. You're a senshi for heaven's sake! We need you!" Her cries were falling on mute ears. Mina had fainted again.  
  
Malachite could hear sounds of a battle. He ran outside, followed immediately by the other three. The bright colors of a red dawn were slowly illuminating the battlefield. He could see the other generals, and even the prince, fighting ferociously against Beryl's soldiers. They were winning, too, or at least they were until the soldiers began to change. Their bodies expanded, and their skins turned varying shades of purple, green, and yellow. Tusks and scales sprouted from various parts of their bodies, and all were freakishly tall. The monsters pressed against the generals and the prince, who couldn't stand against their superhuman strength.  
  
Suddenly, Raye and Amy ran through the cave entrance. "It's our turn!" shouted Raye. She held out a hand and shouted, "Mars flame sniper!" A bow and arrows made from pure flames suddenly appeared in her hands. She directed the flaming arrow towards one of the monsters. The arrow struck him in the center of his chest, and he burst into flames. The flames from his body spread to most of the others around him, who began to scream in agony as they burned.  
  
Amy, too, ran forward and held out her hands. "Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" she shouted. A liquid harp formed in her hands, and a jet of icy water sprouted from it, hitting another clump of monsters, which were immediately covered in ice. The ice shattered, taking chunks of monster with it until nothing was left of them.  
  
"Don't leave us out!" shouted another voice. Two figures emerged from one of the caves. One was the brunette from the screen, and the other was a young man in golden armor. The girl was wearing a similar outfit to Raye and Amy's, except hers was in green and white. "Jupiter Thunder Crash!" She crossed her arms over her chest, and bolts of silvery lightening sprouted around her hands. She flung her hands wide, and the lightening lashed out across the battlefield. Wherever the lightening struck, the monsters screamed and fell, electrocuted.  
  
The young man pulled a sword from the sheath at his side. He pointed the sword in the direction of the monsters, and shouted, "Sun Sword Slash!" The sword began to glow brightly. The glowing portion of the sword lengthened until it was several times the height of a man. He swung the sword around in an arch, forcing the beam to touch several of the monsters at a time. The beam acted just like a real sword, cutting into the monsters with frightening alacrity.  
  
Malachite and Jedeite ran to their fallen comrades and prince. They pulled them back into the safety of the cave, realizing that they were not any use against monsters like these. They didn't have any choice but to allow the girls and the man with the funny sword to do their fighting for them.  
  
When they entered the cave, Malachite automatically looked around for Mina. She was gone. He fought down the rising panic, then started frantically searching around the cave. She wasn't anywhere to be found. In the back of the cave, however, he did find a young woman in a long white dress. She wasn't Mina, but she could almost have been her twin. Her hair was long and silver, and she wore it in two buns on either side of her head from which the rest of her hair hung in ponytails. A tiny golden crescent moon graced the center of her forehead. He couldn't tell if it was a tattoo or just makeup. She was fast asleep.  
  
Malachite left her there and went back to check on the prince. He was sitting up, relating the details of their fight to Jedeite. Malachite cleared his throat to get his attention. "The girl we came to rescue is gone again, my prince, but there's another girl asleep in the spot where we left the first. I thought that perhaps you'd like to be there when I wake her for questioning." The prince nodded, and Malachite helped him to his feet.  
  
They went to the back of the cave, and Malachite heard the prince draw his breath in sharply when he saw the girl. Malachite rolled his eyes. Great, he mused. Another one bites the dust. Oh, well. One of these days they'll realize just how treacherous these girls can be.  
  
Jedeite took one look at the girl and said, "What are you talking about, Mal? Sure the clothes are different, but she looks just like Mina to me."  
  
Malachite could see why Jed would think so, but he immediately noticed the differences between the two girls. "That's someone else. Mina's hair is darker and she's slightly taller. Her face is also a little bit more narrow than this girl's." He shrugged at the strange looks they were giving him. "It's my job to notice the details." They shrugged back at him, clearing not believing his excuse.  
  
The prince knelt by the girl's head and shook her gently with one hand. She slowly opened her large blue eyes, then said something in a musical language that none of them could understand. She sat up as she saw their puzzled looks and gazed at the cave and faces around her. She spoke again, this time in a heavily accented version of the generals' own language. "Good morning. You must be the generals that Lita told me about. I'm very pleased to meet you."  
  
Malachite impatiently stepped forward. "Who are you, and where did Mina go?" 

The girl looked around for the first time. Noting Mina's absence, alarm crossed her features. "I don't know where Mina is. I managed to stabilize her, but I was so exhausted that I fell asleep immediately afterwards. She must have taken off on her own!" She jumped to her feet gracefully. "I have to go find her! She's still not well enough to be fighting!" She seemed not to have any doubt that Mina would be fighting.  
  
Malachite stepped in front of the girl before she could leave. "You still haven't answered my question. Who are you?" he repeated. 

She gazed up at him with startled eyes. "I'm Serenity," she said simply, as if that explained everything. She pushed past Malachite with more strength than he would have given her credit for and rushed out of the cave. Malachite ignored the prince's glare as he followed her.  
  
Once outside, he finally noticed how the girls were faring against the monsters. It seemed like no matter how hard they fought, more monsters always replaced the ones they'd already killed. He could see that they were tiring, and there were still quite a few monsters left. Serenity watched the battle silently for a moment. "They need Mina. She's always the one that comes up with the plans and organizes the attacks. The others simply aren't as much good without her." Mina, however desperately needed, wasn't anywhere to be seen.  
  
The other generals and the prince immediately jumped into the fray. They might not have any special powers, but they could still kill a few monsters on their own. They fought long and hard, but the monsters kept coming. Finally, both the humans and the girls were herded back to back into a circle. The monsters surrounded them, murderous intent in their eyes. Serenity, too, was grabbed by a monster and thrown into the center of their little circle.  
  
Just as they thought that all hope was lost, Mina appeared, standing shakily on the roof of one of the caves. She was wearing an outfit similar to the other girls, except that hers was in gold and white. She looked at the girls, mouthing something unintelligible. They apparently understood, because each of them nodded. One by one, each girl grabbed onto the general next to her. Selenity reached for the prince's hand, while Lita grabbed Nephlite and Malachite. Amy, too, grabbed Zoicite's hand, and Raye grabbed onto Jedeite, scowling the entire time at the unwanted contact.  
  
Each girl looked up at the sky, and then shouted something in that same musical language. The tiaras in the center of their foreheads disappeared, replaced by different symbols in the same colors as their outfits. The symbols, including the crescent moon on Serenity's forehead, began to glow brightly. The air around each of them glittered with the power they were excluding. Suddenly, Malachite felt as though he were going to faint. He closed his eyes against the nausea, and when he opened his eyes he found himself on top of the same cave where Mina stood.  
  
He looked back at the monsters. They were milling around stupidly, obviously befuddled by their sudden disappearance. One of the smarter monsters finally pointed up at their cave roof. He grunted, and the other monsters looked in the same direction. They started to charge, and Malachite didn't have any doubts that the monsters would reach them quickly in spite of the height of the cave on which they stood.  
  
Mina must have realized this, as well, because she held one of her hands to her lips. "Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" she shouted as she peeled her fingers away. As she did, he noticed that her hand now held a small glowing heart. She flung the heart at the monsters, throwing it right into the most densely populated section. It touched the ground and exploded with enough force that every monster in a fifty-foot radius was killed. The rest of the monsters turned and ran with fear, apparently realizing that they could not win against these powerful women.  
  
Malachite turned to Mina just as she collapsed back into unconsciousness. Lita barely caught her before she fell. 


	4. On the moon

1 CHAPTER FOUR  
  
"I'm sorry, Serenity. I can't find Tranq anywhere. I have to assume that the youma caught him." Serenity hung her head in grief. They'd been looking for her brother, the young man in armor, for several hours now. They hadn't had any luck so far, and Serenity was worried for him.  
  
Lita laid her hand on one of Serenity's shoulders. "He can take care of himself. Let's just get Mina back to the palace, and then we'll mount another rescue mission. Okay?" Serenity nodded tearfully. "Okay, Lita."  
  
Lita turned to the generals and the prince. "I'm afraid that you're going to have to come with us. Now that Beryl's been exposed, she'll stop at nothing to kill you. Hopefully you'll be safe on the moon for a while, at least until we can stop her for good."  
  
The generals nodded. They'd seen what these monsters-youma- could do, and they didn't want to jeopardize their people any more than they had to. Besides, the prince had already decided to treat the trip as a mission of peace.  
  
They built a litter for Mina, and each of the generals moved to lift a corner of it. Each of the girls, including Serenity, blocked their progress. "No. We'll carry her. She's one of our own, and she fell protecting us. It wouldn't be right to let strangers carry her," said Serenity. The generals stepped back, graciously allowing the women to take their places. The girls lifted the litter, being careful not to jostle Mina.  
  
Lita slid one hand to the belt at her waist and removed a small silver device. She pushed a button on the device once, and it emitted a bright beam of light. The beam expanded just a few feet from where the group was standing, forming a sort of doorway. Though looking through the doorway was a lot like trying to see the bottom of a pool after something has disturbed it, the men could just make out some sort of tiny room just beyond it. The girls moved to step through the doorway, but a voice quickly called out, "I hope you weren't planning on leaving without me!" With a cry of joy, Serenity set her corner of the litter on the ground and ran to embrace her brother. Malachite swiftly moved to catch the litter before it tipped over. "Where've you been?" asked Serenity, oblivious of the fact that she'd nearly killed her friend all over again. Tranquility put his arm around her shoulders. "The darned youma caught me. I'm ashamed to say that it's taken me this long to escape. That lot of youma seemed almost intelligent. It's amazing," he said dryly. Serenity hugged her brother, and then realized what she'd done to Mina. "Oops," she whispered shamefacedly. She moved to take her corner back, but Malachite waved her away. He didn't want Mina to get dropped a second time, and he wasn't sure that Serenity was reliable enough to carry her. With a shrug, Serenity and her brother stepped through the barrier. Malachite winced at the crackle of energy that accompanied their crossing. With knuckles white from tension, Malachite gripped his corner of the carrier tightly and stepped through the barrier.  
  
As Malachite stepped across the threshold, he was amazed at the world into which he'd just entered. The room that they were in was extremely small but elegantly crafted. Every line of every wall was infused with a grace beyond anything architects had achieved in his country. A tall, narrow door to their right swung open, and several young men and women entered. They were all dressed in white robes and appeared to be medics of some sort. They took the litter away from its carriers and quickly departed with Mina's still prone body. One of the medics stopped and bowed to the girls. "Welcome back, your majesties. The head physician humbly requests the princess of Mercury's help on the patient," he said while bowing to each in turn. "Of course I'll come," said Amy. She followed the medic through the door, leaving the rest of the group staring at each other awkwardly. The prince put an end to the tension by bowing to Serenity.  
  
"Forgive my rudeness, my lady, but I didn't quite catch the name of your kingdom. I've never heard of a country called Mercury." The prince was fishing, but Malachite didn't blame him. After all, Endyimon knew almost every kingdom on the planet. He couldn't understand how such a place with such powerful warriors could have escaped his knowledge.  
  
Serenity laughed silently. "I'm truly sorry, your highness. I thought that you understood. Mercury is not the name of the land on which you stand, and Amy is not its princess. Perhaps a formal introduction is in order." She curtsied gracefully, the smile still on her face, and said, "I am High Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom. My companions are Crown Princess Lita of the planet Jupiter, Crown Princess Raye of the planet Mars, and Crown Prince Tranquility of the Solar Empire. You have already met the Crown Princess of Venus, also known as Mina, and the Crown Princess of Mercury, also known as Amy. Welcome to the moon, gentlemen."  
  
Malachite lay on the magnificent four-poster bed in his new quarters. He still didn't know what to make of their situation. He didn't even know if he believed Serenity's story. How could these unassuming girls be beings from other planets? True, they had strange abilities and could seemingly control the elements themselves. True, they fought beasts that could only be from another planet. True, Mina's blood was gold instead of red. True, they had come through that strange doorway to what seemed to be another world. Still, skeptic that he was, he needed more proof.  
  
They had yet to meet the High Queen, but Serenity assured them that they would have a meeting with her as soon as they were properly rested. She arranged quarters for them, and then sent them on their way. So far, they had had no other word from the 'High Princess.'  
  
Malachite finally gave up on sleeping. He paced the room, looking for any sign that he was, indeed, on another world. He found several books, but all of them were in his own language and appeared to be written by authors from his own world. Bah. It must be some sort of hoax.  
  
A knock sounded at the door, and Malachite put the book back on the table. He opened the door to find a tall man with long silver hair waiting for him. The man inclined his head in greeting. "Selenity will see you now, general. Follow me, please." He spoke with the same accent that all of the people of this world, except perhaps Mina, seemed to possess.  
  
Malachite followed the man through a dizzying procession of hallways, stairs, and tunnels until they came to a large stone door. By this point, of course, Malachite was hopelessly lost. That's probably what was intended, he thought, annoyed.  
  
The doors opened as they approached, and Malachite found himself in a room that could easily have swallowed half of the palace at home. The only people in it were the other generals, the prince, Raye, Amy, Lita, and a young woman with purple hair in similar buns to that of Serenity. Sitting on a throne on a raised dais sat Serenity. On a larger throne to her right was a tall woman with hair similar to Serenity's. This must be Serenity's mother, he mused. She couldn't be anyone else with that hairstyle. Queen Selenity nodded at Malachite's guide, saying, "Thank you Artemis. You and Luna may leave now. I'm sure you have something better to do." A twinkle formed in her eyes at the last statement, and Malachite noticed that both Artemis and Luna blushed. They quickly left, and the queen turned to those assembled before her.  
  
"I am deeply in your debt for the aide you rendered to my niece, Mina. I can never properly repay such a debt, but I wish to try anyway. To that end, I invite the entire party to stay on the moon for as long as you wish. It is my devout hope that your stay here will result in a lasting peace between our peoples." She gestured to the young women around her. "I'm sure that Artemis and Luna managed to get each of you thoroughly lost. They usually forget that not everybody has a cat's sense of direction. My daughter and her court will be most happy to show each of you around the palace and answer any questions that you might have. Girls?" One by one, each of the girls stepped forward to claim a general. Malachite didn't fail to notice that in spite of her apparent distaste, Raye still managed to claim Jedeite.  
  
Amy indicated both Zoicite and Malachite. "I don't know if you remember, but I'm Amy. Where would you like to go first?" she asked politely. Malachite thought for a moment. "I'd like some proof that this is really another planet, for one thing," he said. Zoicite winced at his commander's rudeness but decided not to mention it. He turned to Amy instead. "Beautiful lady, I don't care where I go as long as I am in your company," he said flirtingly. Amy blushed but turned and led them down a long hallway. "I guess I'll take both of you to the observatory," she said thoughtfully. "But first I need to check on Mina's condition, if you don't mind."  
  
Malachite shrugged indifferently. He really didn't care one way or another about that conniving girl. Zoicite frowned, but again chose to ignore his friend's poor manners. "How is the lovely lady doing?" he asked instead.  
  
It was Amy's turn to frown. "I'm very worried. Her wounds are healing nicely, but she still hasn't woken up. I'm afraid that her captors did something to her mind as well as her body. We've called in some of the best mind-healers in the galaxy, but so far they haven't found anything wrong with her." She paused as they came to a low door leading to the hospital wing. "Come on, she's in here."  
  
She led the way to a portion of the room, which was partitioned off by curtains. She pushed one of the curtains aside to reveal a coffin-like object made of glass. Heavy equipment monitored the life signs of the frail girl lying within.  
  
For the first time since their adventure had begun, Malachite took a proper look at Mina. All of her outer injuries were gone, but her face had was still deathly pale. Her beautiful features were marred by intense pain. Malachite felt his own heart constrict with guilt, but he quickly suppressed it. She was the one that had betrayed him, not the other way around. She'd lied to him, used him, and then involved him in something that threatened not just everything he believed in, but also the few people that he cared about.  
  
He turned away, unwilling to look at her anymore. Amy walked around Mina's coffin, carefully checking each of the monitors. As she did, one of the monitors suddenly began to beep frantically. She ran quickly to it, then began calling out orders to nearby medics. Malachite grabbed Zoicite and pulled him into a corner out of the way of the rushing medics. Malachite couldn't tell what was going on, but he could see the worried looks on everyone's faces.  
  
Finally, the beeping stopped and the medics calmed down. Amy walked tiredly over to the waiting generals. "Sorry about that, but I'll have to cut our tour short. Something's going on in Mina's head, and I don't have the skills necessary to find out what it is." She raked a tired hand through her short hair. "I'm going to have to take her to Mars. There are hermits there who might be able to help her." She glanced suddenly up at them. "I know how much you wanted proof that we're on another world. I can't think of any better proof than to take you with me on a space voyage, can you? If you like, I can get permission for both of you to accompany me."  
  
Zoicite nodded eagerly, and Malachite echoed his movements slowly. What better way, indeed?  
  
"I'm curious, though," said Zoicite. "Why do we need to take a ship? Why can't we just use another doorway like the one that brought us here?"  
  
Amy smiled at him. "Good question. Using a doorway like that tends to disorient people for a few minutes. Since we don't know what's wrong with Mina, we don't want to risk anything by using a portal. We only took it earlier because we thought that her injuries were purely physical. Don't worry. The trip will only take a few hours at the most. We're only going to Mars, after all." 


	5. Hermit

1 CHAPTER FIVE  
  
Two hours later they were well on the way to Mars. Queen Selenity had quickly assented to Amy's proposal on the condition that both men be equipped with a translator. The translator turned out to be a tiny brownish lump that could be placed directly behind their ears. According to Amy, it automatically translated speech waves from Lunar Common to his own language. "You won't be able to understand any of the planetary languages, of course, but this should make the transition easier for you," she'd explained as she clipped the device to his ear. The difference was amazing. He no longer felt like an interloper into a magical world. Now that he could understand the language without a living translator, he felt like he could start to stand on his own two feet again.  
  
As they first boarded the ship, Malachite and Zoicite could only stare out the window at the passage of stars. After a while, though, this became extremely boring. For lack of anything better to do, he followed Amy to the medical bay of the ship. Mina's bed had been relocated to the center of the room, and the ever-present medics were constantly monitoring her. Zoicite and Amy, too, stayed near her. Malachite couldn't tell if Zoicite hung around because of his interest in medical science or because of his interest in the blue-haired princess.  
  
Malachite, of course, had finally accepted the otherworldly nature of his companions. Amy had kindly provided him with a slender book on the history of the Silver Alliance. He was amazed that so many different types of people had been able to overcome their prejudices long enough to become allies. Maybe there's hope for earth after all, he thought. And, speaking of prejudices . . . He glanced over at Mina. For the last two hours, a steady stream of people, mostly crew members, had filtered into the hospital room. One by one, they expressed their awe at finally meeting the blonde warrior in person, or so to speak. Each of them had stories, which they were all too eager to share with Malachite, of a time when this tiny girl had saved them or their friends and family from various threats. She was their heroine. Maybe there's more to her than I thought, he mused.  
  
Suddenly, the ship lurched. Amy glanced out the window. "Looks like we're here, gentlemen." Malachite and Zoicite glanced at each other. In spite of their outward calm, they were both nervous.  
  
As it turned out, Mars wasn't very frightening at all. It just looked like a desert. A big, red, endless desert that could reach up to a thousand degrees in the shade. Thankfully, they wore special suits that allowed them to move more or less freely through the landscape. Amy, too, struggled against the oppressive heat. Malachite was surprised to see that she seemed to be having a harder time than even they were. "My planet is made almost entirely of ice," she explained. "I'm used to living in an area much colder than your north pole. I don't come to Mars unless I absolutely have to. Oddly enough, though, my brother, Hermes, loves it here. Go figure."  
  
They boarded a small overland ship, which took them into the very heart of the Martian desert. They landed in front of a small mud adobe hut from which a sinister looking man emerged. He glared at them with sheer disgust in his eyes. "I suppose you're the ones the king told me about. Got a sick girl, do ya? Well, don't just stand there. Bring her in already. I'm a busy man, you know, and I can't spend all day with some twit of a girl who hadn't the sense to dodge a youma blast." He led the way into his hut, gesturing for the medics to bring Mina's bed in with them. Once they set the bed down, though, he kicked them out. "Go away," he said in his gravelly voice. "Ya couldn't help her before. What makes you think you can help me? Just go away." He slammed the door behind them, and then sat in a chair close to Mina's bed. "Well, what are you waiting for? Open that silly contraption and let me get a look at her."  
  
Amy hesitated, and then said, "Are you sure that's wise, sir? It's pretty hot here, and I don't know if she can handle it." The man glared at her again. "Girl's from Venus, isn't she? It may rain a lot on her world, but pure energy courses through her veins. She can handle a little heat. Now, open the thing." Amy sighed, and then pushed a button on Mina's bed. The lid of her coffin hissed and slid away. The hermit slid one dirty hand onto Mina's head. Malachite surprised himself with the sudden surge of possessiveness that he felt. He didn't like the man's dirty hand pressed into Mina's hair, even if he was trying to help her.  
  
The man's hand stroked Mina's hair almost lovingly while his eyes remained closed. "Goodness. This one has power. I've rarely felt such power, but I can't find anything wrong with her mind. I can sense intense loyalty, compassion, and love." He opened his eyes and stared intently at Malachite for a moment before continuing. "There's grief, too. Too much grief. It's buried deep inside, locked behind a wall of emotions. She won't let it go for anything, and its slowly killing her from the inside out. I can't find its cause, though. It's shrouded too deeply in secrets." He opened his eyes again and removed his hands. "This girl has felt pain. She's felt despair as deep as a bottomless pit, so deep that it's likely to swallow her up. Whatever is keeping her from waking up, it's not an injury. My guess is that someone hurt her recently, hurt her so deeply that she doesn't want to wake up. I'll do what I can, but I won't guarantee anything. She might not ever wake up."  
  
Malachite's breath froze in his lungs. A part of him had simply assumed that people who could travel the stars could heal a few injuries. It had never occurred to him that she might die. Hatred and love warred equally in his heart. He watched, dry mouthed, as the old hermit resumed his place with his hand over Mina's mind.  
  
After what seemed like an eternity, and was at least several hours, the old man finally opened his eyes again. He pulled his hand back once more, and then waited patiently for Mina to open her eyes.  
  
She did so only a second later. She blinked in confusion for a moment, and then saw the old man's face above her own. She smiled sadly at him, and he seemed to shake his head in sympathy. He helped her sit, and she surprised them all by throwing her arms around him. She pulled back only long enough to kiss him on the cheek, then stood to go. She nodded at the three other people in the room, who were stunned at her quick recovery. Amy came forward and hugged her tentatively. "Are you sure you're well enough to walk, Meens? What happened back there?"  
  
Mina glanced back at the old man. After a moment, she spoke in a voice so soft that Malachite could barely hear her answer. "I wasn't as prepared as I thought I was to face my demons, that's all." She glanced back at the old man. "I can face them properly now," she said. "Thank you." Then she turned and left the hut without speaking another word.  
  
Amy quickly ran after her. "Mina, wait! Where are you going?" Mina didn't turn to look at her friend. "I'm going to Venus. I have to have a few words with my mother," she called back.  
  
Amy halted in shock. "Her mother?" Zoicite and Malachite caught up to her. "What's so bad about her talking to her mother?" Zoicite asked curiously.  
  
"Nothing really. Except that her mother's been dead for the last fifteen years." 


	6. Explanations

1 CHAPTER SIX  
  
Mina entered the shrine of the Venusian Goddess, Aphrodite. She'd snuck away from the ship just after they'd landed. Since Amy had put up such a fight about going to Venus in the first place, Mina had decided that she couldn't tell her friend her plans at all. Besides, this was something that Mina felt she needed to deal with on her own.  
  
She walked quietly to the alter, careful not to make any unnecessary sounds. She knelt before the alter, bowing her head once in homage. "Goddess of Venus, hear my plea. Aid your servant in her time of peril." She let the symbol of Venus shine from her forehead, hoping the goddess would see and come to her. She closed her eyes and waited.  
  
"Come, child. Everything is not as bad as it seems." Mina looked up into the caring face of the goddess of love. The goddess wiped a tear away from Mina's cheek. "Tell me what you need, and I will see if I can help you."  
  
Mina bowed her head again. "I have not been worthy of my position," she said quietly. "I need for you to find someone else to hold the throne of Venus."  
  
The goddess nodded slightly to herself. "First tell me why you think you're not worthy," she said kindly.  
  
"I've disgraced the house of Venus. I abandoned my people when they needed me most, and I abandoned my parents. They're lying dead because of me. Even worse, I'm not sure that they are dead."  
  
The goddess' face filled with compassion. "You're talking about the Cassenian blossom that your father holds even now. He, and the blossom, wait for you in the tombs."  
  
Mina's face paled with shock. "You knew?! You knew that they were still alive, and you did nothing?! How can you call yourself a goddess when you ignore the fact that one of your own descendants has been buried alive for the past decade and a half?!"  
  
The goddess ignored her rantings. "I know what happened, of course I do. I also know that there was a reason for what happened to your parents, and to you."  
  
Mina forced her body to stop shaking. "What reason could there possibly be for what happened?"  
  
The goddess folded the girl into her arms. "You were a child. You couldn't possibly be expected to understand what was going on. All things happen for a reason, even this." Mina wiped another tear from her cheek. "What do I do to save them?"  
  
The goddess looked at though she might weep. "You can't. They've been possessed for far too long. No, don't blame yourself," she said as Mina's body jerked in fear. "Even if you had done something that night, it would still have been too late. This particular blossom was too powerful. You did the only thing that you could have at the time."  
  
Mina pulled away. "Even if I can't save them, I can still release them from their prison. I have to try." The goddess nodded again, then held out her hand. A shining sword made of the purest crystal appeared in her hand. "You recognize the Imperial Venusian sword, of course? You should; you were meant to carry it from the first, you know. It was always yours for the taking."  
  
Mina held out a shaking hand and took the sword. "I could never bear to touch it. To me, the sword always belonged to my mother. It brings back too many memories. I watched my mother kill my father with it. I watched as she killed herself with it. But now I don't have any choice, do I?" She glanced up at the goddess, but she was gone, having left Mina alone with the glowing sword. Mina turned and exited from the shrine. She knew what she had to do now. She walked to the edge of the cliff upon which the shrine rested. She knew what she had to do now, and no one was going to stop her.  
  
"What do you mean, 'she's gone'? Where did she go?" shouted the usually quiet Amy at the captain of the ship. The captain cowered, shaken by this new, aggressive Amy. "I don't know, ma'am. She said something about talking to the goddess. Then she left. That's all I know, I swear!"  
  
Amy swore, shocking them further. "We have to find her, now, before she does something stupid."  
  
Malachite was the only one brave enough to face the furious princess. He took her by the shoulders, turning her around to face him. "We can't help you if you don't tell us what's wrong," he said urgently.  
  
Amy closed her eyes for a moment. "Mina said that she was going to talk to her mother. She can't. Her mother was murdered over fifteen years ago."  
  
"How?" asked Zoicite. Amy shook her head. "Nobody knows. "The king came home from a long trip and immediately closeted himself with the queen. He ordered everyone out of the entire palace. No one came back until the next morning, when it was too late, and nobody realized until the next morning that Mina had snuck into the palace against her father's orders."  
  
"And what happened when everyone came back?" Malachite was getting more and more impatient. He sensed that time was running out for Mina.  
  
"The guards found Mina huddled in the shrine just outside of the palace grounds. She was covered in her parents' blood, and she couldn't speak. Her parents weren't anywhere to be found. No one ever saw them again. It was about a week later when Mina finally started speaking again. All she would say was that her parents were dead, and that she'd buried them herself. Queen Selenity tried to get more out of her, but she just wouldn't talk. Selenity searched everywhere for her sister, but they never found a trace of her. Mina hasn't spoken of it to this day."  
  
Malachite closed his eyes in silent sympathy for Mina. "How old was she?" he asked. "Mina was five. I didn't really know her all that well at the time, but I remember hearing how she had nightmares every night for years. I think that she still has them, but she's old enough now to hide it."  
  
Oh, Mina. That explains why you could never sleep. You read to get away from the nightmares. What have I done?  
  
They raced to the shrine, hoping to catch Mina before she disappeared entirely. Just as they came to the base of the cliff, they saw Mina standing at the edge looking down into the water.  
  
She jumped, diving head first towards the rocks below. Amy screamed, and Malachite very nearly did the same.  
  
"Calm yourselves, children." Malachite could hear a voice, but he couldn't see its owner. It seemed to echo from the very air around them. "Look again."  
  
He squinted at Mina's falling body, and then gasped at what he saw. "She has wings!" Indeed, she did have wings, long graceful ones with golden feathers. They folded around her body, and then abruptly flared out. Mina's descent onto the rocks suddenly halted, and her body angled off into the horizon. With just a few powerful beats of those magical wings, Mina disappeared into the fading sun.  
  
"Go back to Selenity, children. Mina will find her own way, terrible though it will be. You must wait for her there." The voice was gone, and Amy started walking slowly back to the ship. Zoicite ran to catch up with her. "Wait, Amy! Who was that?"  
  
"That," said Amy as she walked away, "was the goddess of Venus." 


	7. Memories

1 CHAPTER SEVEN  
  
Mina closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of the wind as it rippled through her wings. Flying was one of the few activities that she could enjoy without any guilt about abandoning her duties. She opened her eyes slowly and sighed. She had a job to do, and she couldn't waist any time on recreational activities.  
  
Glancing down on the ocean beneath her, she realized for the first time just how close she was to her parents' crypt. She nearly fell out of the wind currents as a vision flashed through her mind.  
  
FLASHBACK  
  
Three-year-old Mina watched from her alcove as the servants left the building. If she listened carefully, she could just make out what they were saying. She listened for a moment, and then blinked in confusion. Why would mummy and daddy order everyone out of the castle? I bet it's got something do to with the way daddy's been acting lately. I'm going to find out what it is.  
  
She crept behind the curtain in the back of her alcove. As she slipped into the hidden passageway, she wondered again why her father had been acting so strangely since he'd come back from his trip. Mother is probably just mad at him because he didn't contact us for so long. He's probably just feeling guilty because he forgot. Still, that doesn't explain why mother ordered everyone out of the palace.  
  
She slid silently through the passageway until she came to a dead end. She tapped lightly on one of the wall sconces, and then waited as the tiny panel in the wall swung quietly open. She crawled on hands and knees into the equally tiny spy hole behind her parents' bedroom. She smothered a gasp as she realized just how close her parents were. She'd have to be very quiet if she didn't want to get caught. As Mina put her eyes to the slit in the wall, she could hear her parents talking.  
  
"What is this all about, Remis?" her mother asked quietly. Why does mother look so sad? And why does father keep patting his pocket? Her father smiled, but the smile was unlike any she'd ever seen from her loving, devoted father. "Let's not kid ourselves, Aphromina. You know perfectly well that I'm not the same person that followed you around like a faithful lap shikra. I've found something greater than you." Mina's mother closed her eyes in anguish. "Is it greater than Mina? Do you care more for that poisonous flower than you do for your own family?"  
  
Her father laughed maliciously. "Ah, yes. My family. Do you mean the same loving family that's overshadowed me for the past twenty years?" Her father's voice became louder with every syllable that he uttered. "Or maybe you just meant that I should show more loyalty to you than to Cassenian?" He was shouting now, and she finally understood why he'd ordered everyone out of the palace. "Why should I show loyalty to a lying, deceitful, power-hungry fool like yourself? You've never shown loyalty or love for me, so why shouldn't I leave you for Cassenian? She actually cares about me! You don't, and you're training Mina to be just like you!"  
  
Her father was far too close to her mother. Wait, what am I thinking? Father would never hurt mother! He wouldn't hurt a fly!  
  
But even as she thought this, her father removed his outer robe. An icy finger trailed along Mina's spine as she saw the large red blossom attached to his chest. In the center of the blossom was the tiny figure of a woman with pale pink hair and evil in her eyes. The tiny woman laughed cruelly along with her father. "Say hello, Cassenian," her father cackled. Cassenian smiled hungrily as she gazed upon the frightened queen. "Touch her, my love. Then she'll be ours!" Her father grabbed his wife by the hand, and in spite of her great strength she could not pull away. As they struggled, her father jerked her mother around until they were both facing Mina's hideaway. Her father looked straight at Mina, and their eyes met. Mina couldn't help gasping in fear as she saw the look on her father's face for the first time since he'd come home. She clapped a hand over her mouth, but her father had already heard. That's not my father. Not anymore. "I believe we have a little eavesdropper, Cassenian. What should we do with her?" The Cassenian blossom smiled just widely enough to show Mina her fangs. "I want her, too. Her power is great, even greater than her mother's. Once she's infected, not even that silly high queen will be able to stop me!"  
  
Still dragging the queen with one hand, the man who was no longer her father advanced towards Mina's wall. "Come out, little one. I won't hurt you, at least not very much!" She didn't budge, and he scowled in anger. "Come out, now, or your mother dies! Can you live with that, Mina? It'll be all your fault if I kill her. All. Your. Fault."  
  
Mina's mother finally quite trying to free her wrist. "Stay there, Mina." Her voice was still calm, as if she'd known all along about her husband's possession by the evil blossom.  
  
Her father stopped his advance long enough to strike her mother across the face. "That's enough! You shut up, woman!" He pulled a long, wicked-looking dagger from his belt and turned on his wife. "You've plagued me long enough!" He drove the dagger into her mother's side, and her mother screamed in pain. Mina, too, cried out. "Stop! I'll come out! Just please leave her alone!" She frantically pounded on the wall, trying desperately to find a way into the bedroom.  
  
Her father turned back to the wall, completely ignoring his dying wife. "That's more like it. You're worth more to us than your lady mother."  
  
"Leave her alone," her mother gasped out between spasms of pain. With a cry of pain, she pulled the dagger from her side. Before her father could turn around, she brought the hilt down on her father's head. He gave a grunt of surprise, but didn't otherwise react. Her mother repeated the action, this time using greater force. An expression of annoyance crossed her father's face, and he swung at her with one arm. The blow caught her across the stomach, and fell to her knees in pain.  
  
Her father continued to advance on Mina. Finally, he reached the wall and tapped lightly on one of the panels. The panel slid aside. Mina tried to run, but he grabbed the back of her own robe. She choked as the material bunched around her throat, but she didn't stop trying to get away. He lifted her off the ground, and her feet dangled painfully in the air. He spun her around until her face was just inches from his own. He started to grab her face with his other hand, and she closed her eyes in fright. She felt as though her heart was going to burst with terror.  
  
Suddenly, he gave a grunt of surprise and toppled to the floor. As he fell, his hand released his daughter's robe. Mina quickly rolled as far from him as she could get.  
  
Her mother was standing behind him, the crystal sword in her hand covered with her husband's blood. Her own blood was poring liberally from the wound in her side, and she soon collapsed with the strain. Mina skirted her father's body and ran to her side. Just before she touched her mother's skin, the queen shouted, "Don't touch me, Mina! The Cassenian already infected me. I'm sorry, little one. I don't want to leave you, but I don't have a choice." She smiled gently at her daughter. "I need you to do something for me, little one, and you have to promise that you won't ever tell anyone what happened here. Can I count on you?" Mina nodded as the tears began to fall.  
  
Her mother's hand hovered in the air next to Mina's cheek, but she still didn't touch her daughter. "Mina, I won't lie to you. I'm dying, and your father's already dead. But even in death, we're still dangerous." She paused as another spasm gripped her weakening body. "Do you remember that time when I took you flying over the ocean? Do you remember that little cave under the rocks?" Mina nodded again. "Good. I want you to take your father and I there. Place us in the cave, and use your magic to seal it up. Make sure you don't touch us directly, understand? And you can never tell anybody what happened. If you do, the people won't ever trust you again. They'll always be afraid that you've been infected, too. They might even try to break into the cave, and although I'm pretty sure that I killed Cassenian when I killed your father, she might still be alive."  
  
Her mother's voice was barely louder than a whisper, now. "I don't ever want you to go back to the cave, either, Mina. Promise me!" her voice rose hysterically. "I p-promise," whispered Mina. Her mother's body relaxed, and her hand fell back to her side. "Good girl. You'll be a good queen. I'm sorry I won't be there while you grow up, but know that I'll always love you." Suddenly, she plunged the bloodied sword into her heart. The queen's body shook one last time, then became still. Mina knew that she was gone.  
  
END FLASHBACK  
  
Tears streamed freely from Mina's cheeks. Though the events of that day hovered in the back of her mind at all times, she hadn't consciously dwelled on her parents' deaths in years. Until today, she couldn't afford to.  
  
And there won't be a tomorrow, she thought sadly.  
  
She hovered above the water for a moment, gazing around her at the beautiful ocean one last time. Then, resigned to her fate, she pointed a finger at the waves directly below. "Crescent V Smash!" she cried. A beam of golden energy shot from her fingertip into the churning waters below. A whirlpool formed in the place where the beam hit, touching all the way to the bottom of the sea. At the very center of the whirlpool was a narrow, dripping, staircase leading deep into the earth. Mina floated down to the staircase, letting her feet touch the slippery surface. Her wings disappeared as soon as she was on solid ground. She descended the stairs, which ended in a small stone room several feet below the floor of the ocean. At the opposite end of the stairs was a large door, which was held shut by a huge golden chain. Mina walked slowly up to the door, and then pressed her hand to the lock. Both her hand and the lock glowed softly for a moment, and then the lock swung open. She pushed the door ajar with one hand, and entered the stone chamber beyond. 


	8. Confrontations

1 CHAPTER EIGHT  
  
Malachite waited impatiently in the throne room of the palace. He couldn't get Mina's sad face as she thanked the old hermit out of his mind. Images of Mina flashed constantly before his eyes. He kept picturing Mina as he had first seen her, as she waited with her hand on her hip for him to apologize for treating her poorly. Mina, in the early days of their acquaintance, perched in his chair as they argued philosophy and books. Mina, asleep in his chair, one of his books lying open in her lap. Mina taking one last look at him as her attackers swarmed around her. Mina, chained to the wall, golden blood poring from the wound in her head. Mina, lying all too still in the coffin-like bed in the infirmary. Mina, eyes fluttering open as the hermit pulled his hand out of her hair. Finally, Mina, wings unfurling as she plunged headfirst off the cliff. Guilt ate away at him, adding to the worry he already felt over her absence.  
  
He felt a hand lightly touch his shoulder. He turned, surprised to see Raye standing beside him. Her usual expression of extreme dislike was gone, replaced by sympathy and compassion. He nodded slightly, aware that she could read his emotions like a book. She walked away, returning to her place by Jedeite's side.  
  
As he leaned against a balustrade, he wondered again when Mina would make an appearance. The goddess said she'd come back, he reminded himself. I just hope she'll still be Mina when she does.  
  
He glanced around the throne room, observing the other people in the room as they, too, waited for Mina. The princess Serenity leaned lightly against her brother's shoulder. Endyimon hovered nearby, obviously wishing that Serenity would lean against him instead of her brother. Raye, of course, was with Jedeite. A brief smile tugged at Malachite's lips. Jedeite had finally caught the fiery Raye in his trap, and she, in return, had trapped his heart in her own.  
  
The ever-intelligent Amy leaned against suave Zoicite's side as they discussed the evolutionary properties of the senshi. They both spoke in quick, animated bursts, using words that only the two of them could understand. Nearby, the tall brunette known as Lita discussed cooking techniques with Nephlite, who listened avidly as her green eyes sparkled. In another corner, Malachite's rude guide, Artemis, discussed his upcoming wedding with his future bride, Luna.  
  
At first, Malachite resented their conversations, but he quickly realized that their discussions were only a pitiful attempt to concentrate on something other than their worry for Mina. He understood. He was worried, too.  
  
Suddenly, a bright flash of golden lightening flashed in the center of the throne room. Even before she fully materialized, Malachite knew that Mina had finally come. He knew, too, that something was desperately wrong with her.  
  
Mina finally appeared, and all three of the other warriors gasped in fear. He glanced quizzically at Zoicite, who shrugged with equal puzzlement. The other three senshi were backing away from Mina in alarm. Malachite felt an icy finger of fear trail down his spine as he saw the absolute horror on their faces. He glanced at the queen, and was startled to see that the look of horror shadowed her own face.  
  
Malachite looked back at Mina, and his heart constricted as he saw the coldness of her expression. That must be what she sees when you look at her. Mina's gaze passed over each of them in turn, lingering for a moment on Selenity. Pure hatred filled her eyes, and she spoke in a voice that was totally unlike her own. It sounded like the voice of an old woman, roughened with disuse. "Selenity. We meet again. Unfortunately for you, it will be the last time we meet."  
  
Selenity stood, gazing at Mina with anger on her face. "Cassenian," she greeted coldly. Her normally calm face twisted in hatred. "Let Mina go, now, and I might not kill you."  
  
The gravelly voice coming from Mina laughed harshly. "You can't stop me. No one can stop me. I've got your pretty little niece trapped in her own body, and her powers are under my control. The universe is mine."  
  
"Not if I can help it!" shouted Raye, her flaming arrows forming in her hands. "Mars Flame Sniper!" The arrow streaked across the room towards Mina, who disrupted it with a wave of her hand. "Nice try, Martian wench." She held up a second hand, and a gleaming crystal sword appeared from nowhere. "You'll be the first to die." She started to charge, but stopped as suddenly as though she'd hit a brick wall.  
  
"What's going on?" asked Jedeite. Raye scowled at him. "Cassenian may have control of Mina's body, but she can't totally erase Mina's spirit. Mina's fighting her."  
  
Indeed, Mina appeared to be winning. Her body fell to her knees on the cold floor of the throne room, pain and fury covering her features like a shroud. Suddenly, a bubble of bright light filled the air around her, effectively blocking herself off from everyone else in the room.  
  
Raye started to run forward, but Mina held up a shaking hand. "Stay back, Raye," she said in her own voice. "I can only fight her for so long." Her features cleared, and the gravelly voice came back. "Stop fighting me! It's only a matter of time before I have you under as much control as I had your father." She laughed maliciously. "It'll be such a pleasure to get you to kill your beloved as your father killed his." She grinned evilly at Malachite. "How does it feel, earth lord, to watch your soul mate die?"  
  
She stood and picked the crystal sword from off the floor where it had fallen. "I think I'll start with you, after all."  
  
She pointed the sword in Malachite's direction, and the shield that Mina had placed around her began to fade. Suddenly, Mina's body whipped around, and her eyes grew wide in shock and fear. Malachite let his own eyes flow in the same direction, and he echoed her feelings.  
  
Two beings stood, haloed in golden light, on the far side of the room. Their features echoed with an otherworldly calm, and he could easily see through their transparent bodies.  
  
"Aphromina. Remis," whispered Selenity in shock. The woman with the surprising resemblance to Mina smiled at her with love. She held tightly to the hand of the big man standing by her side. "Hello, Selenity," she said.  
  
She turned back to Mina/Cassenian. "It's time to let Mina go, Cassenian. We won't let you do to her what you did to us." She gestured with one of her transparent hands, and the bubble around Mina's body became solid once more.  
  
Mina/Cassenian pointed the crystal sword at the spirit of Mina's mother. "You can't win, mortal queen. She's under my control." The spirit man sighed sadly. "I will always curse the day I found you, Cassenian. For fifteen long years, we waited in that tomb, hoping someone would destroy you before you could spread your infection. You forced me to kill my wife in front of my daughter, dooming her to a lifetime of guilt and nightmares. It won't happen again." He looked at his daughter, searching for some last trace of her soul. He smiled. "Mina is still there, Cassenian. She's too strong in spirit for you to completely expel her. Come out, Mina, and help us fight her." Aphromina, too, looked at Mina. "Do what you have to, Mina. We're waiting for you." The two ghosts wavered and disappeared.  
  
Mina slowly stood, and the pain splashed once again across her features. "I'm coming," she said as she forced the crystal sword into her own stomach. Golden blood welled from the wound, pooling on the floor as she collapsed. The golden shield around her faded as Malachite rushed to her side. He pressed two fingers against her neck, trying desperately to find a pulse.  
  
There wasn't one.  
  
He cradled her head in his arms, and pressed his lips briefly to hers. "Good-bye, love," he whispered as his heart broke into a thousand pieces. 


	9. Death and Rebirth

1 CHAPTER NINE  
  
Raye watched Malachite's ancient face as the four generals carried Mina's funeral liter through the streets of the city. Thousands, if not millions, of soldiers and commoners flooded the area around them, grief etched onto their faces. Many of the people around them were crying openly. The queen and her children, along with the human prince, followed closely behind. The senshi of each major planet trailed along behind them.  
  
The procession stopped as they came to the huge field just beyond the city. The four generals placed Mina's litter on the dais in the middle of the field. One by one, each of the senshi stepped forward to pay homage to their friend.  
  
Omara, senshi of the planet Uranus, came forward first, tossing a small, beige flower onto Mina's body. "May your soul be as swift as the wind on its path," she murmured. Michiru of Neptune was next, placing a large, blue sea flower on the body. "May your peace be as deep and calm as the ocean," she said. Setsuna, senshi of Pluto and keeper of the time gate, too, stepped forward. She placed an exotic green flower on Mina. "May you know that your time in this life was well-spent." Lita was next, her fierce green eyes filled with tears. Instead of a flower, though, she placed the flowering twig of a tree on her friend's body. "May you carry with you the peace and strength of the forest." Raye carried a red flower that burst into harmless flames at random intervals. "May the fire in your soul burn as strongly in death as it did in life." The last of the senshi, Amy, placed her blue ice flower on her leader. "May your wisdom linger with those you leave behind."  
  
Artemis, Mina's former guardian, came forward. Grief was etched into every line of his face. He added a brightly glowing yellow flower to the others on the pile. "May the light and love of the goddess guide you on your journey through the stars." Prince Tranquility silently placed Mina's crystal sword in her still hands. "We loved you, cousin," he said simply. Finally, Serenity came forward. She carried a tiny white flower, which Malachite absently recognized as the official flower of the moon. "Cousin, sister of my heart, your soul shone as brightly as the sun during your short time in this life. May your love, wisdom, and strength carry us through the hard times ahead. No one will ever take your place, and we will miss you sorely. Farewell." She returned to her place beside her mother. The queen shuddered with grief, and then called out, "Aramina, daughter of Venus, beloved leader and friend, we salute you."  
  
At her words, thousands of swords were lifted into the sky as soldiers from every race in the solar system honored their fallen leader. The six remaining planetary senshi formed a half-circle around Mina's body. As one, they stretched out their hands. Six points of light formed in their palms, finally shooting off beams of different colored light. The beams hit the pier, which promptly burst into flames. As the flames licked closer to Mina's body, Raye felt the sorrow of the crowd escalate until it weighed on her like a ton of lead. Much of the grief came from Malachite. He will not live much longer, she thought. So much grief and pain will quickly kill him.  
  
As the flames ate into Mina's clothes, the pain of the crowd became so great that Raye collapsed, holding her head in a desperate attempt to block out the agony of the people around her. Jedeite quickly moved to support her, but she couldn't bear even his touch. "Goddess, please help us!" she cried as her pain only increased. She knew that unless she managed to block the mental voices around her, she would quickly go insane. Her only chance was to involve Mina's patron, the goddess of love. She alone might understand.  
  
The air in front of Mina's pier began to shimmer with golden light, and the goddess of Venus appeared. She gave a gentle wave of her hand, and the pressure exploding in Raye's head evaporated. She waved her hand once more, and the flames of Mina's pier subsided into nothingness. Raye stood shakily, leaning on Jedeite for support. She felt as though she'd been drained by a youma. Still, she knew that the worst wasn't over yet. She still had to reckon with the goddess.  
  
The goddess, however, seemed to know what Raye wanted even before the Martian could open her lips to speak. "You know I can't raise the dead, child," the goddess said gently. Raye hung her head in defeat. A single tear rolled unchecked down her cheek. She didn't see the goddess smile.  
  
"Look at me, little one," the deity called softly. Raye lifted her chin, staring at Mina's ancestor with bleak eyes. The goddess smiled again. "I only said that I couldn't raise the dead. I never said that you couldn't."  
  
Thousands of eyes whipped around to stare at her. She chuckled. "Mina is dead, and nothing that we do can change that. Still, since she died saving the galaxy, the gods have decided to give her a second chance. She can be brought back."  
  
Malachite gazed at her, confused. "You said you couldn't raise the dead. How, then, can she be brought back?" The goddess smiled cheerfully at him, and Malachite was painfully reminded of Mina.  
  
"The gods cannot raise the dead. To do so would be a violation of all that we stand for. And yet, there are so many here with great power. Together, you can pool your abilities and bring her soul back. She must have a new body, of course, but I would be happy to provide that. It's the least I can do for one who is as dear to me as my own child."  
  
Raye thought furiously for several moments. Suddenly, she shouted to the soldiers around her, "What do you say, my friends? Shall we bring Mina's soul back to this plane?" The crowd around them erupted into cheers so loud that Raye was momentarily deafened. Shaking her head in an effort to stop her ears from ringing, Raye shouted in an echoing voice, "Mars Planet Power!"  
  
All around them, the soldiers of the Silver Alliance followed her example, shouting out the various names of their planets. Power filled their auras, sparkling with enough light that even a human could perceive it. The power flew toward Mina's pier, collecting around her body in a light so bright that not even Raye could look at it. The light slowly lifted into the air, carrying Mina's body with it, until both were hundreds of feet in the air. A deafening explosion that followed the sudden disruption of the light knocked them all to the ground. As soon as they had climbed back to their feet, each member of the crowd stared up into the sky.  
  
Mina floated high above them, glowing brightly. Her eyes were open, and she was staring at her hands in wonder. She grinned down at the people below her, letting her body descend slowly to the ground. Her feet touched the surface of the planet, and she was instantly surrounded by thousands of tearful, happy faces. She gently pushed her way to the group around the pier, hugging each of them in turn. She pulled away from the last of her friends, and turned to face Malachite. She gazed at him, uncertain of her reception, until he rushed forward and enclosed her in his arms. He pulled away just long enough to kiss her as hard and passionately as he could. "I'm so sorry," he whispered.  
  
She hugged him again. "I love you," she answered back, just as softly. "I won't leave again." He laughed shakily. "See that you don't," he murmured before he kissed her again. She wrapped her arm around his waist as she turned to her goddess. "Thank you," she said softly. The goddess smiled at her. "You deserved a second chance."  
  
Mina smiled sadly. "Will you tell my parents that it'll be a little longer until I join them?" she asked the goddess, still in her quiet voice. "We already know, love." Mina whirled to face the two hazy beings standing behind them. Her parents gazed at her, love written across their faces. They held hands, clearly at peace with their fate. Mina smiled and nodded, understanding. She was finally absolved of her guilt. Her parents were free at last. Remis and Aphromina wavered and disappeared, still smiling at their daughter. Mina turned to her lover, tears of joy in her eyes. She went on tiptoes and kissed him again.  
  
A.N.: That's it. I've had this story on my laptop for months, and I just didn't get around to posting it. I didn't even take the time to re-read it, so feel free to inform me of any plot holes that I need to revise. Also, I would normally end each chapter with some clever remarks, but since I just came from a particularly grueling mid-term, I don't feel intelligent enough right now. I'll probably need at least three weeks before I'll even be able to look at a computer again!  
  
Venus Smurf 


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